2021 Giro d’Italia - Stage 16: Sacile to Cortina d’Ampezzo
Another day, another new Italian meal! The riders traversed from Friuli-Venezia Giulia and back into Veneto. Today’s meal originates from Friuli where lamb is more predominant than beef. The shoulder cut is a bit tougher than a leg of lamb and it benefits from a long, slow braise or roast. The aromas from the long cook will make your mouth water, but you must be patient. Once completely roasted, you make a pan reduction and finish the chops in the offerings of the roasted vegetables and lamb. This was a definite crowd pleaser.
Roasted Lamb Shoulder from Lidia’s Italy, Lidia Bastianich
~6 lb lamb shoulder, cut into 4 thick chops by the butcher, or hefty pre-cut chops
2 celery stalks
2 carrots
2 onions
Cinnamon stick ~3”
6 garlic cloves
4 sprigs of rosemary
8 sage leaves
2 cups dry white wine
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 cups chicken stock
Pull the chops apart along the muscle break lines. Trim the chops, leaving only a small amount of fat.
Rough chop the celery, carrots and onion. Peel the garlic and smash the cloves. Put everything in a large container, except for the stock, and season with a teaspoon of Kosher salt and a ½ tsp of black pepper. Mix everything together and marinate for 24 hours, flipping the meat every 6 hours or so.
When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 425. Dump everything into a roasting pan and pour in the stock. Cover the pan with foil and poke some holes for the steam to escape. Roast the meat for about 2.5 hours, turning the meat every 30 minutes and removing the foil cover after the first hour.
Transfer the meat to a plate and keep warm. Pour the pan contents through a fine mesh strainer and into a skillet, pressing the vegetables to release their juices. Reduce the sauce by 1/3, then put the chops back into the pan and continue cooking and turning the meat until they are warmed through and the sauce has thickened.
Place chops on a platter, or individual plats and cover with the pan sauce. Serve with creamy gorgonzola risotto (recipe coming for Wednesday's stage).
______________________________ Copyright 2021, Brendan McCann, All Rights Reserved.
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